Disclaimer: Since this was written in 2011, I have been very dismayed to see Mr. Vischer go a very heretical direction. While this is still an interesting testimony that we can learn from, I recommend that you take it at face value and do not follow this man who has proven himself to be very confused at best or a false teacher at worst. December 6, 2020.
I had the wonderful privilege of listening to the testimony of Phil Vischer the other day (the link is below if you are interested in listening). Phil Vischer created Veggie Tales in the 90s. My kids grew up on Veggie Tales and I had always wondered what, amongst the rumors I had heard, exactly had happened. The podcast will give you that story. But he also shared the reason why he named his new venture “JellyTelly”. And that is what I would like to share with you.
You see, he was a man with a mission when he created Veggie Tales. He had a dream. And he fully expected God to come alongside him and support that dream. His dream was to accomplish great things for God using animated films. Of course, God would bless it! Why wouldn’t He?
But Mr. Vischer learned a great lesson. Just because you dream something wonderful to do for God, doesn’t mean it is His will. He talks about how dreams have become idols in this culture. “Dream your dreams” and “any dream is possible” are the mantras of the day. It is okay to have dreams. But not if the dream itself becomes more important to you than God.
And, so, after the Veggie Tales dream turned into a nightmare and then proceeded to die, he had a decision to make. He is incredibly gifted (I am saying that…he did not say it!) and wanted to continue using his gifts for the Lord. And, so, he ventured back into the world of animated video. Slowly and on a much smaller scale. And he started JellyTelly.
He named JellyTelly after jellyfish. And this is the heart of what I want to share today. Because his reason for doing that challenged me. I thought it might challenge you, as well.
Have you ever seen a jellyfish on land? It looks like a drowned plastic bag that somebody forgot to throw away. It cannot move, it cannot do anything if it is cast up on shore. It just lays there dejectedly…hopelessly.
But if it is in the water…if you could see it in the sea…it is a thing of absolute beauty! It flows with the current and the ebb and flow of the current causes its tentacles to wave about in the water. It is where it should be. The current directs it to food. The current determines if it will live or die. It can only move slightly up…and slightly down. That is the only movement a jellyfish has.
If Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we are like that jellyfish. We can choose to be like that flat, discarded plastic bag on the shore when we choose to disobey God’s Word and ignore His wisdom…when we choose to rebel against His will…when we tell God that we know best and “this is what I’m doing, God, and I expect you to bless it”.
BUT…when we, instead, submit our gifts and talents to the Lord and His will…when we rely on His wisdom and obey His commandments…when we rely on Him to meet our needs and to give us our dreams..then we become like that beautiful jellyfish floating in the water. Reliant upon the Lord for our needs and our desires. Knowing that He will take care of us better than we could ever take care of ourselves. He will provide in ways you never dreamed possible. But only if you get back in the water. If you are stuck on the seashore, stubbornly telling God what your plans are…you will miss out on so much. Let’s make sure we are in the current of God’s will.
Here is the link, if you would like to listen yourself to his wonderful testimony–
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/Radio.aspx?ID={D70BEA02-B56B-423D-A1BB-75A61996D0C0}